Key attachment for pianos.



Nb. 753,756. PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.

s. STRAUSS. KEY ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLIOATION IILED JAN. 29, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR; 1 13 TQM $5 Patented March 1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY S. STRAUSS, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT.

KEY ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 53,7 56, dated March1, 1904, Application filed January 29, 1903. Serial No. 141,023. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY S. S'rRAUss, a citi- Zen of the United States,and a resident of Derby, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Key Attachments forPianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pianos, its object being to remind beginnerswhen and where to strike the sharps and flats on the keyboard.

It is a well-recognized fact among music teachers that one of the mostdifiicult things to impress upon pupils minds is to locate and sound thesharps and flats at the proper time. As

5 their fingers are normally over the natural keys and the sounding ofthese are uppermost in their minds, they have to be continually remindedwhere the key is located for the sharp or flat.

2 My invention consists in an attachment that will operate to silenceany one of the natural keys in close proximity to the sharp or flat key,so that when the finger comes in contact with a natural key that hasbeen silenced it will instantly remind the player that a sharp or flatis needed and without loss of time the hand is moved over to the properkey.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to theaccompanying 3 drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a broken view of apianokeyboard, showing two keys silenced by raising them and one keysilenced by depressing it. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail broken view ofone of the natural keys, broken sectional view of the front board of thepiano, and a stop interposed between said board and the overhangingivory facing of the key. Fig. 3 is a full-size view in perspective ofthe stop 4 shown atFig. 2. Fig/lisarear elevation of the same. Fig. 5 isaperspective view of a solidrubber stop adapted for use as a key-stop.

-Fig. 6 is a broken sectional view of the front board of the piano,showing a modified con.-

struction shown at Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Fig. 7 is another modification ofthe stops shown at Figs. 2, 8, and L. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailbroken view of a natural key, broken sectional view of the front boardof the piano, with the 5 key-stop similar to the one shown at Fig. 5

interposed between the key and front board of the piano. Fig. 9 is aview of a wedgeshape stop. Figs. 10 and 11 are enlarged detail brokenside elevations of natural keys, showing modified constructions of thekeystop. Fig. 12 is a View of a stop having transverse kerfs formedtherein, each to represent the different heights of the ivory plate ofthe key from the front board of the piano. Fig.

13 is an enlarged broken detail view of a natural key and brokensectional view of the front board with the stop shown at Fig. 12interposed between the key and front board.

Its construction and operation are as follows: 6 5

1 represents the natural keys; 2, the ivory plates covering said keys;3, the sharp and flat keys.

4 is a stop adapted, Figs. 1 and 2, to be inserted between theoverhanging ivory plate 2 7 of the natural keys and the upper face 5 ofthe front board of the piano. As this distance varies in differentpianos, it is necessary when using the stop at this point to compensatefor this difference. The stops shown at Figs. 1, 2, 8, 1, and 6 aresections of rubber tubing like that shown at Fig. 7; but while thislatter is left round the others are compressed at their upper end andthe core 6 inserted therein, so as to make it firmer or stiffer at thatpoint. The tailpiece 7 is adapted to be inserted in the narrow opening8, Fig. 2, between the end of the key 1 and the inside vertical face ofthe front board. The teeth or serrations 9 are formed on the bottom ofthe stop to impart a 5 certain degree of flexibility, and the depth ofthese teeth is supposed to represent the difference in the heightbetween the under side of the ivory plate 2 and the board 5. Thereforethese teeth will readily give and spread when 9 it is necessary to crowdin the stop. At Fig.

6 another tailpiece, 10, is shown in front of the stop, which in someinstances could be used to keep the stop upright and prevent its beingforced from under the ivory plate 2.

The stop shown at Fig. 5 is made of solid rubber and will spring or bendoutward in its body portion when placed under a key where the distancefrom the ivory plate and the front board is less than the distance fromthe upper I00 end of the stop and its shoulder 4:, as shown at Fig. 8.

Instead of holding the keys up,as before described, they may be helddown or depressed by inserting the wedge-shape stop (shown at Fig. 9)between the vertical board 11 and the upper rear portion of the key.This will depress the key, as shown by key 1, Fig. 1. In either case,however, the keys are silenced.

The modification shown at Fig. consists of the base 12, adapted to reston the front board 5. 13 is a spring-actuated rod whose head portion 14:engages the under side of the ivory plate.

The modification shown at Fig. 11 shows double plates. 15 and 16 are twopieces, each shorter than the shortest distance between the ivory plateof the key and the front board, with the tightening-screw 17 to firmlybind. them together. However, the rubber stops previously described arethe simplest and cheapest devices.

The stop shown at Figs. 12 and 13 consists of the solid-rubber body 4,having the transverse kerfs 4: formed therein. This will give as manydifferent positions as there are points each side of said kerfs forinstance, when used for a key having the greatest distance from thefront board 5 it will be inserted as shown at Fig. 12, the lowerwedgesliape edge 4; being inserted in the narrow opening between thevertical faces of the key and front board. When used for a key havingthe least distance, the stop is opened at the first kerf, as shown atFig. 13, and for all of the intermediate distances between the highestand lowest keys one or the other of the intermediate kerfs are openedcorresponding to such distance.

IVhile I show at Fig. 9 a wedge-shape construction adapted to depress akey, this construction is not absolutely essential, as any of the otherdevices, except those shown at Figs. 10 and 11, would serve the purpose.When necessary to silence a key from the front end, the essentialrequirement is that the device or step should be made to adjust itselfor be adjusted to the varying distances between the under side of theivory plate and the front board of the piano. If so desired, thewedgeshaped construction shown at Fig. 9 could be inserted in the narrowspace 8 between the vertical face of the natural key and the innervertical face of the front board 5.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a piano, a removable flexible stop fortemporarily holding a key out of action, said stop comprising a bodyportion divided into sections to suit the varying heights of keys, oneor more sections interposed between the key and a stationary part of thepiano, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a piano, a removable flexible stop for engagingany one of the keys on the keyboard, said step comprising a body portioninterposed between the key and a stationary part of the piano, for thepurpose set forth.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairlield and State ofConnecticut, this 26th day of January, A. l). 1903.

HARRY S. STRAUSS.

\Vitnesses:

W. J. TANNmn, G. STERLING.

